2023 Southeast CASC Retrospective

As we start off the new year, let’s take a look back at some of the many Southeast CASC successes and events of 2023.

In 2023 we….

Welcomed a New Consortium!

In August 2023, North Carolina State University was awarded a new cooperative agreement from the U.S. Geological Survey to continue to host the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (SE CASC) for the next five years. Five additional consortium institutions were added to our footprint: Savannah State University, United South and Eastern Tribes, University of Arkansas at Monticello, University of Puerto Rico at Rio Pedras, and University of Virgin Islands. Read news release here.

To welcome the new consortium, a two-day in-person meeting was held in Asheville, NC.

Shared Science in Person!

From February 9-10, 2023, the Southeast CASC partnered with the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS) to host the Caribbean Conservation Community of Practice in St. Croix, U.S. VI. Read a reflection of the event here.

And Virtually!

In 2023, the Southeast CASC hosted ten science seminars. View a collection of our science seminars here.

• Facilitating Accurate and Effective Application of Coastal Marsh Models
  • Renee Collini (PLACE:SLR), Trevor Meckley (NCCOS), Christine Buckel, (NCCOS)
  • View an overview and recording of the seminar here.
• Introduction to New SE CASC Projects
  • View an overview and recording of the seminar here.
• Climate Support for Species Status Assessments
  • Catherine (Kasia) Nikiel (ORISE/SE CASC)
  • View an overview and recording of the seminar here.
• Sea Level Rise and Salinity Impacts on At-risk Native Freshwater Mussels
  • Joseph McIver (NC State University)
  • View an overview and recording of the seminar here.
• Insights from a National Scale and Holistic Approach to Map Estuarine Vulnerability to Projected Change in Water Quality
  • Lise Montefiore (NC State University/Natrx)
  • View an overview and recording of the seminar here.
• Scaling up Urban Growth Projections with FUTURES
  • Anna Petrasova (NC State University)
  • View an overview and recording of the seminar here.
• Tribal Climate Adaptation Priorities and Opportunities for the Southeast CASC
  • Dr. Steph Courtney (USET-SE CASC) and Dr. Casey Thornbrugh (USET-SE CASC)
  • View an overview and recording of the seminar here.
• Using Deficit Irrigation to Reduce Vulnerability in Food-Energy-Water Nexus
  • Hemant Kumar (NC State University)
  • View an overview and recording of the seminar here.
• Climate Change Impacts on Brook Trout Populations in the Southeastern USA
  • Yoichiro Kanno (Colorado State University)
  • View an overview and recording of the seminar here.
• Results for the Southeast from the 2022 AFWA Climate Adaptation Survey Report
  • Jacob Blandford (AFWA)
  • View an overview and recording of the seminar here.

Welcomed New Staff

In 2023, we had five new additions to the Southeast CASC staff:

• Kate Gorman, Communications Specialist
• Michelle Jewell, Communications & Engagement Manager
• Alex Loomis, Rare Plant Climate Impacts Postdoctoral Fellow
• Hailey Shanovich, Climate Change and Wildlife Action Plan Fellow

While Bidding Farewell to…

• Kristen Fontana, ORISE Climate Science Translation & Communications Fellow
  • In January 2024, Kristen will be joining the Global One Health Academy at NCSU as a Program Specialist.
• Brittany Salmons, ORISE Climate Science Translation & Communications Fellow
  • In May 2023, Brittany joined Audubon NC as a Communications Associate.
• Marie Schaefer, Tribal Climate Strategies Research Scholar
  • In September 2023, Marie joined EPA’s Integrated Climate Sciences Division as a Social Scientist.

Introduced a New Cohort of Global Change Fellows

In addition to staff, we also welcomed 12 new 2023-24 Global Change Fellows.

From August 13-18, 2023, the fellows participated in the Climate Adaptation Science Retreat and Field Intensive on the Albemarle Peninsula, to learn more about climate adaptation concepts. This event was accompanied by SE CASC staff and several graduate students from SE CASC Consortium Universities – Auburn University, Duke University, University of Florida, and University of Tennessee.

Two Global Change Seminars were hosted by 2023-24 Global Change Fellows in 2023 with more to come in 2024!

1. Translation of Science: From Research to Application and Adaptation. Access a summary and recording of the seminar here.
2. Exploring the Significance of Environmental Justice in Science. Access a summary and recording of the seminar here.

The following 2023-24 Researcher Spotlights were shared in 2023.

1. Myleigh Neill
2. Nathan Schunk
3. Thomas Thelen
4. Laura Taylor

Stay tuned for more Researcher Spotlights on our Global Change Fellows in 2024!

Wrapped Up the 2022-23 Cohort of Global Change Fellows

Two Global Change Seminars from the 2022-23 cohort were hosted in 2022

1. Inclusivity in the Outdoors. Access a summary and recording of the seminar here.
2. Communicating Risk in a Changing Climate. Access a summary and recording of the seminar here.

The following 2022-23 Researcher Spotlights were shared in 2023.

1. Emily Nastase
2. Murry Burgess
3. Julianne Reas
4. Sophia Rosenberg
5. Greivin Ulate
6. Christina Perella
7. Austin Lamica
8. Lily Raye
9. Bethany Wager

Released Publications

In 2023, we added 25 new publications to our database of peer-reviewed reports and journal articles supported by SE CASC.

A sampling of these recent publications along with summaries can be found below:

• Vulnerability of Estuarine Systems in the Contiguous United States to Water Quality Change Under Future Climate and Land-Use by 2019-20 Global Change Fellow Lise Montefiore (NCSU), Natalie Nelson (NCSU), Michelle Staudinger (NE CASC), and Adam Terando (SE CASC)
  • Read a summary here.
• Compact or Sprawling Cities: Has the Sparing-Sharing Framework Yielded an Ecological Verdict? by Elsa Youngsteadt (NCSU), Adam Terando (SE CASC), Jennifer Costanza (USDA Forest Service), and Jelena Vukomanovic (NCSU)
  • Read a summary here.
• Experimental evaluation of how biological invasions and climate change interact to alter the vertical assembly of an amphibian community by Steve A. Johnson (University of Florida), Elizabeth A. Roznik (North Carolina Zoo), and Brett R. Scheffers (University of Florida)
  • Read a summary here.
• Gulf Islands National Seashore Regional Sediment Budget Research and Data Needs: Workshop Series Summary by Erin Seekamp (NCSU), James Flocks (USGS), and 2021-22 Global Change Fellow Courtney Hotchkiss (NCSU)
  • Read a summary here.
• Understanding the Food-Energy-Water Nexus in Mixed Irrigation Regimes Using a Regional Hydroeconomic Optimization Modeling Framework by 2020-21 Global Change Fellow Hemant Kumar
  • Read a summary here.
• Climate change and the global redistribution of biodiversity: substantial variation in empirical support for expected range shifts by Mitchell Eaton and Adam Terando (SE CASC)
  • Read a summary here.
• Minimal shift of eastern wild turkey nesting phenology associated with projected climate change by Wesley Boone, Krishna Pacifici, and Christopher Moorman (NCSU) along with Adam Terando (SE CASC).
  • Read a summary here.
• Assessing the Toxicity of Sea Salt to Early Life Stages of Freshwater Mussels: Implications for Sea Level Rise in Coastal Rivers by Joseph McIver (NCSU) and Greg Cope (NCSU).
  • Read a summary here.
• Scenario-Based Decision Analysis: Integrated scenario planning and structured decision making for resource management under climate change by Mitch Eaton (SE CASC).
  • Read a summary here.

Developed New Products

In 2023, we developed 9 new informational products, including fact sheets and postcards, to help share SE CASC science and accomplishments. This year we also created a new Data & Tools webpage documenting important data and tools from SE CASC supported projects over the years.

Coming up in 2024

Seminar

• Join us on January 18, 10AM ET for a virtual seminar on Southeastern Plants Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need. This webinar is jointly hosted by the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS), and Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (SE CASC). Learn more and register.
• We are co-sponsoring a webinar series with the co-authors of the Southeast chapter from the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Save the first talk of the series to your calendar, here!

Internships & Fellowships

• SE CASC is offering a paid summer science communication internship for students from minority serving institutions. Applications will open on January 2. Learn more.
• We will also soon be accepting applications for the next cohort of graduate student Global Change Research Fellows. Learn more about the program here.